She Was There First
by AnonymousCreep
Summary: Bucky finally convinces Steve to go out dancing with him one night. Steve expects an evening of awkwardly hovering around his best friend while he sweeps the girls off their feet, but what he gets is a sweet-faced brunette and his first romantic adventure. Pre-serum Steve.
1. Take Her Out Dancing

She Was There First

"Really, come on now, Steve. It won't be that bad, I promise!"

Steve looked up from the ground and gave Bucky the flattest, most unimpressed, 'are-you-serious' look he could muster. He struggled to keep up with Bucky's long strides, shuffling along after him as best he could with the taller of the pair's arm draped over his narrow shoulders. He couldn't believe he'd actually agreed to this, cursing that smile that Bucky could flash and bend people to his will no questions asked, considering backing out at the last minute, but being dragged back in by the pleading look on his friend's face. He knew that he couldn't say no to Bucky, and the crafty son of a bitch knew it too. "Trust on this, will you? It'll be fun! How bad could one night be? Just you, me, and a room full of attractive girls to dance with," Bucky said, putting some extra pep in his step with each word.

"That might not be a problem for you, Buck, but I'm pretty sure you've noticed that girls aren't exactly lining up to dance with a guy they might step on," murmured Steve, resisting the urge to shrink back as they neared the bright lights of the dance parlor a mere stone's throw down the street. "Don't be that way. I'm sure you'll find some lovely young lady to sweep off her feet in there. And if not," he ruffled Steve's hair good-naturedly, "you can always dance with me!" Steve shoved him away, grinning in spite of himself. "Yeah, right. Like I would be caught dead dancing with you. I'd never find a girl to dance with then," he said, resuming his walk alone. Bucky chuckled softly as they entered the fray of people clamoring to get inside the parlor. "Just stick by me. A couple of handsome scrappers like us? The dames'll come running straight for us."

In Bucky's defense, he wasn't wrong, per say. The minute the both of them entered, they headed straight into the crowd of mingling dancers, and true to Bucky's word, a number of different girls had wandered by, giggling, winking and expressing their availability to dance with him. Just him. "What am I; chopped liver?" Steve mumbled, standing awkwardly to the side as a cute redhead chatted up Bucky. It was almost as if he were a stone in the middle of the river: everyone went around him, or worse; just walked right into him as if they didn't even see him. He was pretty sure that he'd been jostled senseless by nearly every girl who walked bay, bumping into his shoulders, stumbling to get around him, none of them apologizing. Bucky happened to glance back at him with a smile on his face, and Steve had to plaster a fake one on for him, shrugging his shoulders half-heartedly. Bucky went back to the redhead, once again leaving Steve alone in the crowd.

Bored with just standing around being awkward, Steve looked for something else to do. He wandered around the parlor, trying his hardest not to get stepped on by all the busy dancers. He didn't expect to see anyone he might know sans Bucky, nor did he think he would be making acquaintances with anyone there. Halfway around the parlor, he realized he'd picked a terrible moment to go wandering around alone. The music picked up in tempo and with it, the dancers followed suit, stomping and spinning and swinging. All around him, Steve was smashed into walls or other dancers, staggering around getting his toes stepped on, and once, getting elbowed in the side of the head by accident. By the time her returned to the spot where he'd left Bucky, he had been battered and bruised as though he'd been in a fight…and where was Bucky?!

Steve spun in a circle, an exasperated look on his face, desperately searching for Bucky. He was so ready to leave the parlor and just go home, just leave Bucky here with his sudden abundance of dancing partners, but he knew that if he just disappeared, Bucky would have a heart attack, thinking something had happened to him. He sighed heavily, rolling his eyes skyward. He wasn't even sure where he was and he certainly couldn't see through the throngs of people swaying and swirling about. He was dreading the thought of having to dive back within the crowd to look for Bucky, but was saved by the sound of his name over the music and shouts of the other dancers. "Steve!"

He whirled around to find Bucky weaving his way towards him through the crowd, a sweet-looking brunette in tow. She wore a red dress and matching saddle shoes, her hair pinned and pulled over her shoulders to keep it away from her face. From behind Bucky's broad shoulders, she seemed to notice Steve and smiled, her eyes crinkling and a giggle escaping her lips. Steve frowned. He just knew that she was thinking, '_oh, this poor, pitiful looking kid. He looks like a stringbean_.' Bucky stopped short in front of Steve, swinging the brunette out for Steve to see. "Steve, this is Eliza Berry," he said breathlessly. His normally well-kept hair was slightly swept out of place and it was clear that both of them were breathing pretty hard. They must've been dancing; Steve wondered if they had been one of the couples who had stepped on his toes or knocked him into the walls.

Eliza reached out her hand, the smile still on her face. "Nice to meet you, Steve," she said. Her voice sounded like laughter in a bottle, always ready to burst into a fit of giggles at some point. It was nice. Steve shook her hand with a small grin. "Nice to meet you too, Eliza-"

He'd barely gotten the words out of his mouth before he found himself being swept away in a circle, Eliza's arm over his shoulder, her hand in his. Eliza smiled back at Bucky, who stood laughing, looking surprised as she danced away with Steve. "I'm gonna steal him away from you, alright?" she called over the music, winking at Bucky. Steve glanced his way, a slightly frightened look in his eyes. "Take good care of him!" Bucky simply called back. Eliza dragged him towards a scarcely available spot and grabbed his arms. She threw one over her shoulder, having to lean down just a bit so he could reach, and wrapped the other arm around her waist. "Ready?" she beamed, swinging her hips with the music. Steve stared up at her, a little intimidated by her height. She had at least a foot on him, and was still shorter than Bucky when they stood side by side. Eliza spun them, twirling out and nearly dragging Steve with her had he not dug his heels into the floor. She twirled back towards him and Steve had enough sense to catch her, albeit stumbling a bit.

"Whatsa matter? Don't you know the Lindy?" Eliza asked over the live music, a confused smile on her face. Steve shook his head, staring at her like a deer caught in headlights. "N-not really. I don't dance much." Eliza giggled. "You wanna take it slow for a bit, Shortbread?" Steve raised an eyebrow at her nickname and she laughed again. She repositioned his hands on her waist and shoulder and began a slow sway with him, something that he could keep up with. Around them, dancing pairs faltered a step, eyebrows raised at the two of them dancing out of sync with the music.

"People are staring at us," Steve said glancing past her arms. "That's alright. I'm more concerned with dancing with you, Shortbread," Eliza said, continuing their impromptu forward-step, backward-step dance routine. "You didn't strike me as the type of guy to care what other people thought of you. The way Bucky was talking about you, I pictured you being…" she trailed off, looking thoughtful.

"Taller?" Steve offered with a small, nervous smile. Eliza laughed, a genuine, hearty one that threw her head back and pulled her smile from ear to ear. "No, one-in-a-million, Steve," she said. "Wish I had guys like you in Oklahoma!" The music slowly descended into a slower, more manageable pace, better suited to Eliza and Steve's dancing. The other dancers seemed to move just as the music did, suddenly becoming less energetic and more fluid. "Ah. There we go. Now we're the new fad," said Eliza winking at Steve. Steve relaxed, unaware that he had been so stiff. "Stubborn, headstrong, don't know when to quit," Eliza continued, listing the things she'd heard Bucky praise Steve for. Steve gave her a sheepish grin when she raised an eyebrow at him and his list of traits. "Big-hearted, caring, selfless, level-headed, a real sweet kid, compassionate, kind…and not a bad cook either, I'm told." Steve laughed, the tips of his ears burning red. He'd never heard anyone call him those things, save for his mother and Bucky on occasion if he was feeling particularly mushy. He still couldn't believe that Bucky had gushed about him so and to hear it relayed so endearingly from Eliza was almost a dream come true.

"He said that you would change the world, Shortbread," she added, removing her hand from his and poking a finger at his chest, "and with a heart like yours, I can't say that I don't doubt him. You've got great, big things bundled up in a little package, Steve, and I can't wait to see what you'll do with them in the future." Steve felt his knees turn to rubber, already knew that he must be as red as a tomato from Eliza's words, ducking his head under her gaze and grinning nervously from ear to ear. He glanced around them quickly, expecting to see Bucky somewhere watching, laughing, shooting him a thumbs up, probably even mouthing the words '_kiss her'_ to him from the over the shoulder of his own dancing partner. But Bucky was nowhere to be found. It seemed like it was only him and Eliza, and as weak-kneed and embarrassed as he was, he was alright with it.

His heart was pounding so fast that he worried about having an asthma attack right there on the dance floor, and each time he dared to look up at Eliza, he burned another degree hotter and took deep, deep breaths. Eliza paused in her dancing and furrowed her brow in concern. "Steve? Are you alright? Do you want to sit down?" Steve glanced up at her, saw the worry wetting over her green eyes and knew immediately that he didn't like seeing her that way. "M'fine. I'm fine. Just need to…" He waved his hand around as he searched for words. "Come on," Eliza said, taking his hand and pulling him through the sea of dancers.

Eliza led him through the front doors of the dance hall and settled them both against the outside wall underneath one of the windows. The music thrummed from the open doors and echoed into the street, even the sound of the singer's cover of _Can't You See I'm Dreaming_ muffling its way through the glass above their heads. Steve breathed in the night air, thumping his head against the brick wall as he gulped in fresh air. Eliza fanned herself next to him with one painted hand. "Ugh. Didn't realize how stuffy it was in there till I came out here in this air. Felt like a Georgia heat wave in there." She looked down at Steve, her brows knit in concern. "You alright, Steve?" When he nodded, she smiled with relief. "Good. Hate to see you drop like a fly in there so soon after that wonderful dance." She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall and Steve stared at her. He was half-tempted to ask her if Bucky had put her up to this, being so…friendly and casual with him; he hadn't had the best of luck with women. Most of them didn't want anything to do with him and would only even glance in his direction if Bucky was by his side, god forbid they actually cast a greeting his way. He couldn't believe he had actually gotten this far with Eliza, a woman who was kind and friendly to him as she was beautiful. '_There is no way…_' he thought to himself. Still, he wasn't complaining and even wondered if, by the end of the night, without any prompting from Bucky, he would actually gather up enough courage to kiss her. He smirked and chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head at his own thoughts. '_Yeah right. Fat chance; you'd have more luck tacking on a few pounds and shooting up like a beanstalk._'

Eliza yawned suddenly, covering her mouth with the back of her wrist. "Boy, I think I'm ready to call it a night and turn in. Would you believe I've been here at this dance hall for hours?"

"You've been dancing for that long?" Steve said, an eyebrow raised. His breath had been steadied and he could feel his heart settling in his chest. "Not really. I lost my date and was really just jumping from lonely partner to lonely partner. I suppose they left me." She stretched, raising her arms over her head. "That's alright though. I started having a great time when Bucky came sidling up to me, that beautiful smile on his face, asking me was I taken and could he 'have this dance?'" She turned to Steve. "Then he introduced me to you, and my night easily became the best dance I've ever had." Eliza sighed and glanced down the road. "But it's a shame it has to end. I'm working the early shift tomorrow; don't want to be falling asleep at the cash register. My boss would burst a blood vessel if he caught me using it as a pillow."

"Let me walk you home," Steve offered. Eliza looked ready to protest, but Steve spoke up. "I insist. I couldn't just let you walk home on these streets. I couldn't sleep if something happened to you on your way home." Eliza smiled so warmly at him that Steve felt his ears turning red under her gaze. "You're sweet, Shortbread," she said. "Alright. I accept your offer." She put forth her arm and Steve, after a moment of bewilderment at the gesture, accepted it, linking his arm in hers and keeping her graceful pace down the sidewalk.

Steve was in a dreamlike state as he walked down the sidewalk, his eyes settled into a thousand-yard stare for different reasons other than trauma or terror. Eliza was still on his mind, her laughter-in-a-bottle voice and warm, welcoming smile. He was pretty sure that if you took him by the shoulders and looked into his eyes, you could still see her face reflected in those blue orbs. Steve had never felt like this, but he knew that he knew what it was called. He was sure that he was lovestruck, and was sure that he didn't want to be snapped out of that trance.

"Steve!"

He heard his name, sharp and loud, from nearby. Bucky. He'd totally forgotten about Bucky. And there was the brunette then, jogging towards him from his spot outside the dance parlor, which was still alive even at-Steve checked his watch-nearly eleven at night. "Oh, hey…Bucky," he said slowly, knowing that he was in for in earful. "Where were you? I was looking everywhere for you!" Bucky demanded. His face was awash with an emotion somewhere between relief and anger. "Last time I saw you, you were with Eliza, then you just disappear from the whole building!" Steve nodded. "I was still with Eliza. I walked her home." He smiled brightly. Bucky stared at him in disbelief. "You walked her home? You walked her home for an hour?" Steve checked his watch again. "She lives far away. She came in a car, but her date left her there. I walked her home." Bucky ran his hand through his hair and looked heavenward. "Jesus, Steve. I thought you'd gotten into somebody's business again…had me checking every alley in sight…find out you're just fine with a girl-" He suddenly snapped his gaze back to Steve with wide eyes. "You were alone with a girl."

"A beautiful one," Steve added dreamily. Either Bucky ignored him or didn't hear, but he didn't comment on Steve's obvious puppy love. "You were alone with a girl, Steve. Did you dance with her? Did you kiss her?"

"She said it was the best dance of her life," Steve said, feeling his knees grow rubbery at the memory. Bucky cuffed him around the neck in the crook of his arm. "My God, Stevie, you did it! See? I told you tonight was gonna be a good night! I'm proud of you, you little punk; didn't think you had it in you!" Steve looked up at Bucky against his hands ruffling his hair. "Neither did I. You…um…" His voice trailed off quickly. "What?" Bucky said, releasing him. "You…this is gonna sound really stupid…you didn't set that whole thing with me and Eliza up, did you?" Bucky looked down at him, frowning at the look in Steve's eyes. He looked so worried about it all being too good to be true that it almost broke Bucky's heart. He knew that Steve had awful luck with women; they never wanted anything to do with him because of his height and how skinny and weak-looking he was. They never saw his giant heart and selfless nature, never fought with his stubbornness and been cheered up afterwards by his gentle innocence. If Eliza had been the first girl to give him that chance, and have him fall this hard for her, then who was he to tell him otherwise.

"'Course not, kid. You did that all on your own."

The worry disappeared from Steve's eyes and was replaced with relief and the original lovestruck gaze that he'd returned to the dance hall with. Bucky grinned and chuckled softly, draping his arm over Steve's shoulder. All was right with the world.

"So. When's the wedding?"


	2. Complications

It was nearly noon, the sun sitting high in the clear blue sky, and Steve found himself sighing in disappointment after yet another turn down by the enlistment office. He'd falsified his hometown yet again on his enlistment form, the third in a growing list, and this time he'd picked Pennsylvania. "Aw, don't worry about it, Steve," Bucky said, shaking his shoulder as they wandered down the street. "Maybe another time." Steve shook his head. "I doubt it. This is the third time, Buck. Whoever said 'third time's the charm' obviously wasn't talking about me," he said wearily. "Well, the next time you try that again," he pointed a knowing look at Steve, silencing his protests, "because I know you will, don't pretend you're from a different state. That's illegal, you know. " Steve frowned and looked away from Bucky's reprimanding gaze. He knew that he was right, as usual, but he didn't want to show it. "Where'd you say you were from this time?" Bucky asked. He'd gone with Steve to the enlistment center in town, but he had no idea where Steve had claimed he was from yet. "Pennsylvania," Steve said, glancing sheepishly back at Bucky. Bucky laughed out loud, throwing his head back and closing his eyes. "Pennsylvania? You couldn't pass for a Penn kid, Steve. You're Brooklyn through and through; can't you see it in your battle scars?" He gestured at Steve's cheek where a scar was still healing from another scrap behind the local diner. "Penn kids don't fight like that."

Steve rolled his eyes just as a car horn blew from behind them. He whirled around, eyes widening as a bright red Cadillac came roaring down the road towards them, glinting brightly in the noon sun. "You know any rich guys?" Steve asked, his eyes locked on the car as it approached. Bucky just shook his head, mouth slightly agape. The Cadillac screeched to a halt beside them at the end of the curb and the driver smiled with red lips at them. "Hey, boys," she said. Steve knew that smile anywhere; the last time he'd seen it had been the night before and it had lingered in his dreams. "Eliza?"

Eliza pushed her sunglasses up on her forehead, her green eyes squinted in the bright sun. "Hey, Steve, Bucky," she said brightly, nodding her head to each. "What're you boys up to?" Steve couldn't decide what to focus on: Eliza or the luxury convertible she had just pulled up in. "Oh, y'know…just walkin' around," he managed to get out as he eyed the car. "Is that a Series 62 Cadillac convertible?" Eliza grinned and cut the motor, hopping out. "Fancy yourselves a look, boys?" Bucky and Steve shook their heads stupidly, in a trance with the bright red car, and swarmed it while Eliza stood watching on the sidewalk. "I thought you said you were a cashier?" Bucky said, ducking around the car, like Steve, inspecting every inch of the car. "If you don't mind me saying." Eliza nodded. "I am. This is just a present from my parents."

Both men's heads popped up like prairie dogs in surprise. "Your parents got you this?" Bucky said, raising an eyebrow. "Yep. My father is the owner of the Sears and Roebuck store in town. The Cadillac was a birthday gift," Eliza said, tapping her pointer finger to her chin. "But, if your parents are rich, why are you working as a cashier?" Steve asked, genuinely curious as to why a well-set girl like Eliza would work hard hours in a low-paying, seedy curbside restaurant when she could just ask her parents for livings. "Can't a girl establish herself without her parent's money?" Eliza said with a coy smile. "I believe in earning your keep. If my parents did everything for me, what would I learn? And what happens if, god forbid, my dear father goes bankrupt and loses his money? Well then, he'd drag me down as well. I'll stick to my own, thank you." Eliza shrugged and looked away down the street, and this time, Steve knew what to pay attention to. If it was even possible, it would seem that he had fallen even harder for her then and there, admiring her strength and independence. And it didn't hurt that she looked stunning in that white dress. It was dotted in red polka dots, perfect with her red t-strap heels and the scarf that she'd tied over her dark hair. Bucky nudged Steve's shoulder suddenly and smirked. "Close your mouth, man. You're drooling all over her nice car." Steve snapped his mouth closed and immediately stood, the tips of his ears burning red. "Hey," Eliza said, and turned back to him, her eyes bright with an idea. "Why don't you boys come to Coney Island with me? I was headed there for a day trip and I was meeting my friends there, but it looks like you two could use a day off."

At both of their strange looks, she added, "Just hop in the car and go. Really, it looks like you guys could use some fun." She looked directly at Steve when she mentioned that. She had seen the slightest hint of disappointment in his eyes when she pulled up to them earlier. She wanted to try to cheer him up if she could, and she was definitely going to try. Steve exchanged glances with Bucky, who shrugged. "We've got nothing else to do, I guess," Steve said slowly, unaware that Bucky had caught onto Eliza's idea after watching how she looked at the blonde. "We'd love to," Bucky added with extra emphasis, already guiding Steve around to the passenger's side of the Cadillac. Eliza rounded the car and threw open the driver's door. "Great! Let's go have some fun!" Steve nervously slipped into the passenger's side seat next to her while Bucky took the back seat. Eliza pulled down her glasses, cranked the engine and looked to Steve and Bucky in turn. "I'll try not to drive too fast," she winked.

She tore off at such a speed that the three of them lurched back in their seats. Steve dug his nails into the upholstery of his seat, pressing himself against it for dear life. He turned his head and glanced at Bucky, who was-and he didn't understand how he could-enjoying the way she drove, grinning from ear to ear. Once the pace became more familiar to him, Steve relaxed slightly, switching his glances from Eliza to the street. By the time they reached the park, he had almost let go entirely of the seat. Eliza steered the Cadillac into a parking spot and cut the engine, a ball of energy, and jumped out of the car. Bucky shook Steve's shoulders as they exited with her, all smiles and grins. "Did you hear that engine purr?" he said excitedly. Eliza smiled warmly and made her way over to them. "Let's go have some fun!" This time, Steve didn't have to hurry to catch up with the brisk paces of Bucky and Eliza; he was almost in sync with each of Eliza's steps, glancing up every so often to take in the wide smile on her face as they hurried to the ticket booth.

It was a hot day, and most of Brooklyn had retreated to the confines of the amusement park, taking in the sun with funnel cakes in their hands and a day of rides to look forward to. If there was a way to forget about the war going on around them, it was best to do it at Coney Island. Eliza insisted on paying for all their tickets and when they entered, she immediately looked around for the friends she had been planning on meeting there. Bucky and Steve offered to help her look and they navigated the crowds for two blondes and a redhead. "I think they're wearing blue, at least the blondes; they're twins, you know," Eliza said, standing on her toes to see over the heads of the other park-goers.

Bucky's eyes brightened at the mention of Eliza's friends. "Really?" he said, intrigue present in his voice. Eliza didn't fully turn to look at him, only making eye contact with him halfway through a sideways glance. "Yes; Betty and Candy. They look sweet enough to eat, but they're really quite awful," she said half-laughing with a wink. It was then that Steve happened to spot two blondes in blue near the red and white striped funnel cake tent and spoke up quickly. "Is that them?" Both Eliza and Bucky's heads turned in the direction that Steve was pointing in. Eliza put on a smile and nodded tightly when her eyes fell on the girls. "That's them," she said, but Steve noticed-other than Bucky instinctively running his hands through his dark hair to smooth it down-that she didn't call to them or let them know in any way that she was there and saw them. Instead, they walked towards the blondes and _they_ called out to Eliza.

"Liz!" called the first one with a bright smile. She and her sister waved enthusiastically as if Eliza couldn't see them a mere stone's skip away. "Over here, darling!" Bucky made a low whistling noise as he looked them over. Both were fair-skinned like porcelain dolls or the color of ivory with pink lips and golden hair that fell in ringlets from the little white bows that tied them back from their faces. It wouldn't be hard for a man to find where to put his hands when he danced with them; their matching figure-fitting powder blue dresses took care of that. "Consider me sold," Bucky murmured under his breath to Steve. Eliza glanced at him with an unreadable facial expression. "Liz," cried one of the identical blondes, putting her hands on her hips in mock scolding, "Where have you been? We thought you'd never show up." Eliza cleared her throat. "Um, I stopped to say hello to some friends," she replied and gestured towards Bucky and Steve. "Candy, Betty, these are James Barnes and Steve Rogers. I asked them to come with me today. Thought they could use some cheering up."

Candy, the sister who had been doing most of the talking, looked Bucky up and down with slow, deliberate eyes. "Good call." Betty chimed in, leaning one arm on her sister's shoulder. "Well, you should've told us that from the get-go, Liz. We forgive you for being late." Bucky grinned in the glow of the girl's undivided attention. "I don't know about you, but I'm certainly feeling better," he said, nudging Steve with his elbow. The twins giggled. "I'm Betty," she was slightly taller than Candy. "And I'm Candy," replied the other, "I'm older than Bet by four minutes."

"Well, Candy, never knew how much of a sweet tooth I had until I met you and you're sister," Bucky said, earning another fit of giggles from the girls for his quip. Eliza exhaled her words roughly. "Suave," she raised her eyebrow at Bucky and then directed her tone to the twins. "Are we waiting on Olive?" Olive must've been the redhead Eliza had mentioned earlier, Steve thought. "Oh, she's around here somewhere with Hank. They're probably snogging on the docks," Candy said with a shrug. Her eyes were planted firmly on Bucky. "We can look for her too, unless you girls would rather ride some rides," he said. The twins shook their heads and spoke over each other trying to convince Bucky that it was fine if they forgot about Olive. At the girl's approval, he looked to Steve and Eliza. "You two up for some rides?" Steve shifted nervously and glanced up at Eliza. "Sure," she agreed with a shrug that made Steve wonder what had brought the sudden change in her usually sunny disposition.

The twins giggled shrilly again and, one hand in both of Bucky's, darted off into the crowd with the echo of their tinny laughter and Bucky's own deep chuckles reverberating through Eliza and Steve's ears. Eliza glanced down at Steve with another shrug. "Well, we better catch up with 'em." She slipped her hand through Steve's, which caught him off guard-he jumped so hard that she furrowed her brow at him and gave him a nervous laugh-and together they followed, Steve laughing with her and reminded of the night before.

By the time they'd caught up with the two fluttering blue dresses, they found themselves at the end of the line for a ride that made Steve pale in its towering shadow. Even Bucky and the twins looked to be at a loss for words as they stared up at it. "The Cyclone," Candy said, tugging on Bucky's arm. A giant, winding, wooden contraption with seven rickety cars that trundled on the wheels they stood on; that was the Cyclone, and it yawned down at the group standing in awe in its shadow. "Oh, God, are we going to ride it?" Bucky nodded, slowly at first and Steve could see the devious smile he'd come to recognize beginning to spread across his face. "Oh, yeah." He glanced back at Steve and nodded at him expectantly. "C'mon, man. It'll be fun! Isn't that why we're here?" Steve looked petrified. Eliza nudged his shoulder. "You okay, Shortbread?" She winked at him and added, "It's not so bad once you get up there."

Betty resisted Bucky's tug on her hand, frowning up at the ride. "Do we really have to?" Candy huffed at her sister. "Betty, c'mon, it'll be fun; don't be such a baby!" Bucky wrapped an arm around the latter's shoulder and added, "And don't worry; I'll hold on to you real tight." Steve rolled his eyes at Bucky's flirting and looked up at Eliza. "Do you want to share a car?" Eliza looked after her friends for a moment longer than Steve thought necessary or normal before she directed her gaze to him and smiled. "Of course. And I'll hold _you_ tight too." Steve chuckled and the two raced to find a spot in line. When it was the group's turn to claim a car, Betty, Candy and Bucky all squeezed into the first car in the front of the train and Steve and Eliza slipped into the second. Eliza pressed herself close to Steve, grinning at him with what could only be nervousness and excitement. "So, we actually ride that corkscrew over there?" Steve gestured the downward spiral of track ahead. Eliza nodded. "It's my first time riding this thing. It'll be a good time." Steve's eyes were wide at her the minute the words came out of her mouth. What had he really gotten himself into?

"Please keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times," droned the ride attendant as he strolled down the loading station, visiting each car in turn, his red vest the color of something Steve didn't really want to think about with the impending coaster ride ahead. "Do not stand in the car while it is moving, and please refrain from throwing anything from the car. Please take firm hold of the safety bar in front of you and enjoy the Coney Island Cyclone!" Eliza bit her lip and let out a breath, a nervous giggle that mirrored just how Steve felt. Candy and Betty giggled up front, one arm linked within Bucky's and the other hand gripping the safety bar until their knuckles turned white. Bucky cast a glance back at Steve and gave him a grin. "Hold on tight to her, Steve; don't want her flying away." He winked at Eliza, who returned it by playfully sticking her tongue out at him and smiling.

The car lurched as it pulled away from the station slowly. Eliza scrunched closer to Steve, but her hands never came away from the safety bar. Steve wasn't sure whether or not to feel excited about how close she was to him or if he should be shaking from head to toe as the ride gained speed. The cars steadily climbed the hill, making loud, heavy clunking noises as its wheels rolled up the track. The top of the hill seemed so high in the air that the rest of the park seemed like child's toys in comparison, but Steve knew that it was only his overactive imagination at work. Still, when the car suddenly dropped and he came whizzing towards earth at a dizzying speed, he couldn't help but entertain a few worries about falling out and hitting the ground. He quickly became aware of someone screaming and really hoped that it wasn't him.

Actually, it sounded more feminine than masculine; Candy and Betty's shrill, terrified screams were what he heard, Bucky's ecstatic laughing, and Eliza's own tinkling laughter as she occasionally chanted, "Faster!" Steve admired her stubborn bravery as much as he did the rest of her, but he really hoped that the ride didn't pick up any more speed; he didn't think he could take it! The second hill was jarring, the third made his head hurt, and the fourth was the one that did him in. He could feel it, feel the unmistakable unease in his stomach, the sense of panic and fear that didn't do anything but bubble in his already unsettled insides. "The corkscrew's coming up!" Eliza was saying.

Oh. God.

It went so quickly that it was almost too slow for Steve's taste. As the car slowed to a crawl towards the station, Steve heard himself say, "Please tell me this thing doesn't go for twos." Eliza was laughing and breathless, her hair mussed and her face windswept. Even looking like she had just braved an actual cyclone, she was beautiful, but it wasn't enough for Steve to stop from running to the nearest black trash barrel and empty his insides into it. As a concerned Bucky pushed his way through the crowd in pursuit of his friend, it was up to Candy and Betty to keep up; Eliza was matching him step for step. As they passed a particular bunch waiting to board the ride, someone said loudly, "Little pipsqueak can't hold his lunch! Probably be better off powdering his nose with the women!" Eliza turned on her heel at the quip, stopping dead in her tracks, and spat, "Oh, piss off, you meathead! Leave him alone." Steve had angled himself enough to be able to see what all the commotion was about and wasn't the least bit shocked to see Eliza chastising someone in the crowd. Bucky just seemed surprised that someone had beaten him to the punch. Candy and Betty were attempting to pull her away from the crowd, where she instead guided herself towards the barrel where Steve stood. Steve gave a sharp, curt laugh, attracting Bucky's attention. "My kinda girl," he slurred around the haze of being sick. Bucky smirked. "She's somethin' alright."

"Are you alright?" Eliza asked, by Steve's side in a blink. He saw the concern in her eyes, and, like the night before, knew that he would do whatever he could to make her happier. "I'm fine, I'm fine," he assured her with a wave of his hand. "Did you even eat anything before we rode the ride?" Bucky chimed in. Steve shrugged. Bucky rolled his eyes and sighed. "Come on. Let's go get you cleaned up. Will you girls wait here; we'll be right back." Eliza looked like she wanted to come with them, but Bucky held up a hand. "Right back. I promise. I'll get him back to you in one piece."

And before Eliza could object anymore, Bucky had carted Steve off in the opposite direction in search of napkins and a water fountain.

**Author's Note:**

Well, I guess this has become a three-shot. There is certainly more ground to cover before this little escapade ends. People who follow 'Defective' as well, this tidbit is especially for you. I will return with another chapter for you very soon; this is just a little distraction from it until I can get around to writing and posting the next chapter. So please bear with me. The next chapter will be the last one in this story.

Also, this whole chapter was reference to a scene in the first movie. :)

-**AC**


	3. Last Call

While Steve washed out his mouth with cool water from a fountain that Bucky had found in the front of a washhouse, Bucky leaned against the wooden walls and waited. "When are you going to take Eliza out proper?"

Steve took another gulp of water, spat to the side and looked up wearily at him. "What?"

Bucky gave him a smug look. "You really like this girl; that's no secret. I said, when are you finally going to take her out on a date like a proper gentleman?" Steve took one last swig of water and straightened over the fountain, bracing his hands on either of its metal sides. "When I'm ready. Don't rush me," he said curtly. As he began the walk back to the Cyclone, Bucky chased after him. "That's the thing, Steve," he was saying, "you won't! I know you; remember that broad in second grade…what was her name? Penny? Penny Parker! You were like a puppy dog on her heels all that year, and when old Saint Valentine's Day came around and you had your little pink heart all cut out and made for her, you got cold feet. You waited all that time, froze up, and she got snatched up by that boy Johnny Rice." Bucky leaned so that he could peer into Steve's face as they walked. "What I'm saying is, is that Eliza's a special girl, and more importantly, she's _almost_ your girl. Almost, if only you get on your damn high horse and ask her out _proper_."

Steve glared at him. He didn't need to be lectured about his past endeavors with girls-he knew them all too well. But he knew that deep down, Bucky-as annoying as he was-had a point. He honestly had no idea what he was waiting on in asking Eliza for a date, and hadn't she said, the night that they met, that she had been there at the dance with her friend only referred to as '_he_'? '_He_' might come back and try to redeem himself and Eliza would've slipped right through Steve's fingers. He felt a disappointment welling up inside him at the thought. His glare slipped.

"Fine," and at this, Bucky raised an eyebrow, "I'll ask her."

"When?"

"Soon, alright? Now will you stop bothering me?"

Bucky laughed but said no more. They walked back together in friendly silence.

It was quite a day. The group wandered all over the park, hand-in-hand for most of the time; Candy and Betty wrangled Bucky along, tugging on both of his arms. Steve had offered Eliza his arm and the two kept a steady but calm pace behind the energetic trio.

"They're like puppies," Eliza said, watching the two blondes and Bucky. "Always running around and yapping away. I hope he doesn't mind their talkativeness too much." Steve shrugged. "I doubt it. Buck's kind of like an overexcited puppy dog too, but he likes to pretend he's suave and slick for the dames-I mean, ladies," he quickly corrected. Eliza raised an eyebrow and laughed.

Candy and Betty insisted they ride all the rides, play all the games, and investigate every nook and cranny. "How often do you get to come to Coney Island on such a beautiful day as this?" Candy explained when Eliza had asked, sounding beat, why they had to be so meticulous. "And we'd rather spend as much time with Bucky as we can; he's planning to go off soon, did you know? Before he runs off to give ol' Adolf a kick in the pants, we have to give him the honor of a good homegrown American girl and a lavish night out, don't we?" replied Betty, winking up at Bucky. Eliza stiffened suddenly and a worried look crossed her face, not unnoticed by Steve standing beside her. She opened her mouth as if to say more, then pressed it shut, thinking better of it.

"He'll be fine," Steve told her, and she looked down at him, "all he's got to is flash that dumb grin of his and an army of girls will come to his aid." Bucky gave him said grin and tipped his head towards him. Candy and Betty giggled and pressed themselves closer to him, but Eliza looked no less comforted. In fact, she looked halfway disgusted. Candy and her sister Betty took no notice, totally oblivious to anything around them. "We should get funnel cake; I'm feeling pretty famished," said Betty.

"Me too," added Candy. "And some candy floss, while we're at it."

Steve caught sight of Bucky raising an eyebrow at him, blinking his eyes discreetly towards Eliza. 'Perfect timing,' he was saying. Steve gave an exasperated, unamused look and piped up. "We'll get some. Funnel cake and candy floss?" Candy and Betty answered at once. "Yes, please!" Steve returned to Bucky. "You want anything?" Bucky shook his head.

"I'll be fine; I've got all the sweets I need right here," he said, winking at the twins, who giggled and began leading him through the throng of people. Steve resisted the urge to roll his eyes and turned to go, but Eliza hadn't budged. He looked up at her and found her staring at the backs of the twins and Bucky, looking betrayed in the worst way. At first, Steve wondered if she was still caught up on Bucky leaving for war, if she was simply being bighearted and sympathetic about his safety, and moved to comfort her more sincerely this time rather than joke about it, but then he froze. She'd been so distracted this afternoon whenever Betty or Candy had been doted on by Bucky or had blatantly flirted with them, and then just now: that look. Like she'd just had her heart stepped on…

It clicked.

She looked that way because that was how it had been. It was Bucky. It had always been Bucky.

_'__I started having a great time when Bucky came sidling up to me, that beautiful smile on his face, asking me was I taken and could he 'have this dance?'_

_"__Hold on tight to her, Steve; don't want her flying away." He winked at Eliza, who returned it by playfully sticking her tongue out at him and smiling._

_"__Suave," she raised her eyebrow at Bucky and then directed her tone to the twins. _

Jealousy. She'd been annoyed by all the attention Bucky had been giving the twins all day, jealous of the way he returned it, even though she had been with Steve. But…she had never been with him at all had she? She'd always be walking in the shadows of the Bucky and the twins, leaving Steve behind.

As usual.

Steve dropped his arm, looking up at Eliza with an expression as blank and empty as he wished he could be feeling-now, he was full of nothing but cold disappointment, and it hurt, _oh it hurt_, like he'd swallowed a glass of ice-his movement stirring Eliza out of her hard staring trance to meet his gaze. For a moment, her face clouded in confusion as she took in Steve's, and his heart clenched when she opened her mouth to speak, no doubt to ask what was wrong with him? At the last minute, thankfully, her thoughts came together and she realized what had happened: her eyes widened, her face falling into shock, and then she was gone, pushing through the crowd.

Steve stood in place shaken, curling up his fists and squeezing them tightly, opting to let her go-he wasn't sure if he could handle it all right now. The one girl who had ever taken the time to notice him had eyes for his best friend. He wanted to let her go. He wanted to scream, wanted to pull his hair out, curl up in a ball in silence. For a moment, he even wanted to track Bucky down and hit him. Then the rage was gone, just like that. He wasn't (completely) angry with Bucky and he couldn't pull his hair out, because that was quite possibly the only thing he truly believed might give him a chance with girls if he could just get it to liven up and be more full. And, as he turned and ran through the crowd keeping a steady eye on the red scarf and bobbing brown hair, he didn't want to lose Eliza yet either.

Steve finally caught up to Eliza on the boardwalk. When the patrons had finally thinned out at the edge of the park, he watched her stomp across the wooden boards, keeping up quite a quick pace despite the limited length and upcoming dead-end of the boardwalk, and thought about jogging the rest of the way to meet her. But that train of thought was completely derailed and froze Steve in his tracks when Eliza slipped under the rails and disappeared, her white fingers clinging to the boards the only thing that remained of her. Then, as she dropped down to the beach below, those vanished along with her.

Leaning over the edge, Steve continued to watch her as she gathered her shoes-she must've kicked them off- and continued her brisk pace down the beach unfazed. She must have gone down this way to be alone with her thoughts on an empty beach.

Well, Steve wasn't going to give her that, not when she owed him answers.

He slid under the rail as she did, hanging onto the boards to gather a brace for impact, and dropped to the sand below. His breathing was a bit labored from having to speed walk to keep up with her from the middle of the park to the boardwalk, but he shoved the thought to the back of his mind. He followed her, his footprints forming alongside hers in the soft white sand. She looked like a bright white figurine in the dimming light-had they really been at the park _all day_?-storming along down the beach. He increased his pace to outmatch hers and catch up, and called her name. "Eliza!"

Eliza looked back and stopped. She seemed to realize that she couldn't keep walking forever and waited while Steve walked the last few steps towards her. When he reached her, the words just couldn't seem to come. He looked up at her, spread out his arms, silently asking for an explanation. '_Why?'_

Eliza shook her head, looking like she'd rather be anywhere with anyone than here with Steve. "What do you want me to say? I have no idea." Then she seemed to rethink her previous statement. "Look, Shortbread," she caught herself, closing and opening her mouth as she tried to get the feel of her next word, "Steve. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you had to find out this way; I'm sorry that you fell for someone like me. This was an awful afternoon, and I had promised you a day of fun, too, hadn't I?"

She laughed humorlessly. "How wonderful this turned out to be, huh?"

"I'm sorry that this wasn't the best day either," Steve said. "But I'm not sorry that I fell for you. You're a wonderful girl, Eliza. You're smart and fun, you're sweet,"

Eliza shook her head. "Stop."

"You're beautiful and strong-willed-"

"Shortbr-_Steve_. Stop, I'm-"

"And you should be told that every day, even if," Steve swallowed, "even if I'm not the one who gets to tell it to you." Eliza looked close to tears; she dropped her shoes to the sand, pulled Steve close in a hug and sobbed over his shoulder. Steve stood perfectly still and let her cry. And then, remembering that this moment would bet the last instance that he ever held her like this again, he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist, and tried to swallow the pain of truth.

Bucky was disappearing before his eyes. He would be swallowed up the crowd in a matter of seconds. A small seed of worry sprouted in Steve's chest as he watched the uniform cap bobbing above the crowd grow smaller and farther away; he'd always rather dreaded thinking about this moment, tried not to imagine it too much, the day that Bucky would leave him. He'd always consoled himself by imagining himself in the same uniform alongside him, heading off on orders together, because anywhere that Bucky was, Steve had always wanted to be.

But he was here, left behind _yet_ _again_ at the front gates of the science fair, watching his best friend get away from him with another pair of girls on his arm-unlike the last two, he hadn't committed_ their_ names to memory. They were going dancing. Again.

Steve felt hollow. Three months and no sign of _her_ should have been enough right? No mention of her at all, not an airy giggle to be heard or piercing green eye to be caught. It was like she'd vanished from the world altogether-it made sense, since it had been too good to be true. He sighed and glanced around, just trying to clear his mind and get his thoughts in order by distraction, and froze. He'd had to do a double-take almost immediately.

She was wearing navy raileen and pearls, a startled expression on her face, similar to someone being caught spying or eavesdropping. She looked like she'd stopped walking midstep, like she was regretting her choice but unable to right it. And despite the worried uncertainty on her face and the smile that tried to bloom across her lips, Steve thought that Eliza Berry looked gorgeous.

"Hi," she called out to him, relaxing a bit. She still looked nervous, but at least the smile had grown in full. "Hi," Steve replied, staring at her with a slack expression. He crossed the floor to her and stopped just short of the toes of their shoes touching. For a while, they stood there staring at each other, smiling softly and giggling quietly at something that neither of them were quite sure of. "Did you…did you come to the fair by yourself?" Steve asked, finally breaking through the quiet.

"I did. The twins don't much like things like this. They went dancing. Did you come by yourself?"

Steve shook his head. "Bucky dragged me along…" An uncomfortable moment of silence passed between them. Never mind that Steve knew that the only reason Bucky had brought the second girl, who had ended up leaving with him anyway, was to help him get his mind away from the woman who stood before him now; it just felt awkward to mention him between themselves. "He wanted to go out before…well, y'know."

"Oh, he's gotten his orders, has he?" Eliza said. "It must be hard to watch him go."

Steve shrugged. "It is. But I've got a surprise for him." Eliza cocked an eyebrow. "What've you got planned? You've got a mischievous look in your eye." Steve shifted his weight from one foot to the other and glanced at the big sign hanging in the lobby beyond the gates advertising army recruiting in the area. Eliza followed his gaze and sighed. "Oh, Steve."

"I've got to do this. Bucky's already chewed me out, so he's taken care of that part for you. But I need someone to understand that this is something I feel obligated to do. I want to enlist, and I want to be there with the rest of them. Someone's got to protect this," he waved his hand at the science fair still going on around them, "and why shouldn't it be me too?"

Eliza watched him. "How many times have you tried this?" At Steve's look of mild surprise, she smiled. "Let's be honest; I called you 'Shortbread' for a reason. How many times?"

"Because I'm short and pale? And at least six."

"Because you're short _and_ sweet, and, hey, seventh time's the charm, right? Look, I'm not saying that you shouldn't try to enlist," she sighed heavily and touched his shoulder. "I won't lie to you: I wish you would just stay put; both of you boys. But I can't think of anyone better to do this, with as big a heart, than you. While I say that, however, I want you to promise me one thing."

Steve nodded. "What is it?"

Eliza retracted her hand from his shoulder and pulled a silver bracelet from her wrist. The bracelet was made of thin silver and chimed softly as it moved with little silver charms. There were three in all, no bigger than Eliza's pinky nail, in the shape of a bird's wing, a little silver star, and a tiny letter 'E'. She took Steve's arm and clasped the bracelet around his wrist, closing her hand over it. "Promise me you'll bring this back to me. It means quite a bit to me, you know, and I like to have all my things returned to me safely." She smiled gently and Steve realized she was telling him to come back safely. "You can share it with Bucky when you catch up to him, too. And I won't accept any letters from either of you sending it back. You bring it back to me on this arm, got it, Shortbread?"

Steve nodded. He intended to keep this promise.

* * *

Hope you had fun!

-AC


End file.
